After the debate Breácan Hux, Brea for short though not many could get away with calling him that, noticed the lithe dark haired giant was staring at him. It was unnerving. If he had been taking notes he would have stabbed the other male with his pen. Sadly this little debate project made the process of taking notes pointless. He had no desire to listen to the useless ramblings of those who couldn’t understand the importance of this course especially since the professor wasn’t providing feedback beyond ‘good’ or ‘bad’. The other male kept his looks up until the end of class at which point Breácan couldn’t hold back any longer. “Why the hell did you spent half the class staring at me instead of respecting our classmates during their debates?”
The other man chuckled under his breath. “I wanted to know if you really believed the crap you spewed during our debate.”
Brea’s eyes widened. He hadn’t expected that. “Really? That’s what you want to ask?” He was kind of surprised. He knew the engineering student was passionate during their debate but he had thought it was all over the coffee incident this morning when the dark haired giant hadn’t paid attention to where he was going. “You provided valid points but it is not the government’s duty to care for children. If parents are unable to handle their children then perhaps they shouldn’t have them. Educators, at least in the public school system are employees for the city or township they work for which is overseen by the state which is overseen by the government as a whole. To educate these teachers on information parents should be responsible for knowing is a burden on taxpayers. The system should not be required to halt for those too weak to keep up.” It was extreme, even for him it was extreme. The truth was for all he believed in the failings of democracy he didn’t actually think of the mentally ill as a burden. The government should care for them just as they cared for all of their citizens. It was just... he just wanted to be right. He was a political science major set to complete both his undergrad and graduate degrees within four years. He couldn’t be shown up in a debate course by an engineer.
“You’re unbelievable! You actually think that? Are you a fucking fascist? Is that why you want to get into the political scene? So you can strong arm the government until you destroy it and rebuild it in your own image? That’s totally fucked up.” It seemed the dark haired male was angry with him and it brought him a little bit of joy watching the other male get all worked up. It was almost… he was almost attractive with a scowl on his face. Shame. Almost wasn’t what Hux was into.
Hux shrugged. He wanted to see if indifference was the way to go. In his experience it usually wound people up more. He hadn’t expected the response he got. The dark haired man, Ben his mind helpfully supplied, seemed to change before him. He could see him counting to ten mentally and watched as his body let go of all of his stress. “You’re despicable.” He watched Ben, walk from the room. He picked up his bags and headed across campus for his job as a TA.
The next few days were boring for Brendol Hux. With classes just starting he didn’t have any homework and he only had one friend on campus, a friend who was preoccupied with her part time job. It meant he spent a lot of time alone, in his room, with his wonderful cat but he could only spend so much time working on his thesis before he became bored. It got so bad that he was almost excited to go back to his public speaking and debate course. Working up Ben the biomedical engineering major seemed like fun now.
That morning, Brea dressed in one of his favorite button downs. It was a charcoal grey and went well with the black suspenders he connected to his slacks. He layered a black lightweight cardigan over it and longed for the coming days when he would be able to wear a blazer without becoming uncomfortably hot. He was rather pleased with the look even if it wasn’t as formal as he would have liked. He check his hair in the mirror one last time to ensure it was properly placed before heading out. This time he skipped the coffee shop. He didn’t want to work Ben up over something so stupid. He’d rather rip apart the other man’s political ideology.
It should be noted that Hux felt a slight attraction to the other man. He wouldn’t admit to it of course or even consciously recognize it for what it was. A crush. He was just like the little boy who pulled the pigtails of the girl he liked. Instead in his conscious mind he just saw him as a rival. When he entered the room he sat in the back same as before, glaring at any students who tried to switch seats in an effort to ensure Ben would sit next to him. He watched the door and waited for the taller male to arrive. Unlike the previous lecture where the dark haired man stumbled in at the last moment, this time Ben Solo arrived with several seats left. Still, Brea got lucky, Ben sat down next to him with a raised eyebrow and a wry smile on his face.
Hux couldn’t help but try to dig at him as he sat down. “You didn’t get enough last time?” he asked. He was looking at his notebook pretending not to pay too much attention to the engineering major next to him.
He watched the way the man named Ben Solo looked at him from the corner of his mind. “You’re entitled to your opinions even if they’re the radical ideals of a man who has no true experience in government beyond watching the men in your daddy’s pocket grovel before him.”
Breácan was taken a back. No one should know about that. It was true Hux wasn’t a common name but not many people knew about his father, a retired military general who had been fortunate enough to marry a young heiress late in life. He was one of the biggest donors to many extreme right-wing campaigns. He was the sort of man could bring about the rise and fall of government officials but he was always quiet about it. How did Ben Solo know? He couldn’t ask, that would make him look foolish. He had to find another way. “My father has nothing to do with this. Bringing him up shows just how out of your depth you are.”
“Whatever you say.” A chuckle from the other man before another raised eyebrow. Ben Solo looked up at Brea for a moment and smirked like he knew a secret. Hux frowned. He wasn’t certain why it wasn’t working. Why wasn’t the other male worked up? Why did was he becoming so worked up? He pulled out his notebook, resigned to the fact that he would have to give up before he made a fool of himself when heard the other male speak up again. “If you’re trying to wind me up you’re going to have to work harder.” Hux didn’t have the opportunity to respond even if he wanted to because the professor walked in.
The lecture was fairly boring, it included tips on public speaking that had been grilled into Breácan from the minute he could talk. It only dampened the mood by how boring it was. By the end of the lecture he was in a rush to get out just so he wouldn’t have to listen to the old professor drone. Any excitement he had about the course was gone and not even the prospect of another debate assignment at the end of the month could improve it.
The next time he went to class it was the same. The time after that was too. Hux’s mood remained sour throughout. The freshmen he served as TA for were incompetent, his courses were far too easy and overall they were rather boring. Still, he didn’t allow himself slip in any course. He practiced so that he could be fully prepared for the debate. The professor had paired them up based on their proficiency during the first debate which meant that Breácan would be arguing against Ben Solo once more. This time he had the advantage of receiving his topic in advance as well. It was a well-known topic, ‘The Pen is Mighter than the Sword’. Hux would be arguing for while Ben was against.
The morning of the debate started much like any other day. Hux expected everything would continue as it had the past few courses, he figured by now that the first course had been a fluke. It wasn’t until he saw the smirk on Ben Solo’s face when they were called up to the podium that he began to feel differently. This time as it was a formal debate rather than the practice session given at the start of the term Hux would start with opening statements. “Today I would like to argue that the pen, or the written word is more powerful than the physical force, or sword, that man wields while my foe attempts to prove the opposite.”
Ben responded. “My opponent would like to state that the pen is more powerful than the sword. It is my intention to prove the opposite.” The smirk still had not left his face. Hux wanted to rid him of it.
“I would like to begin my argument by explaining how the written word shapes our society in a way that the sword cannot.” Breácan began. “General William Westmoreland once said ‘The military don’t start wars. Politicans start wars.’ While the man’s grammar may leave something to be desired Westmoreland provides a valid point. The military is commanded by those in power to deploy troops. Those in power, politicians often write speeches explaining to the people exactly why they should be supporting war. The speeches are written in advance so that they may be tested and perfected. War is always premeditated. It always begins and ends with the written word through speeches, treaties, declarations, proposals, and accords.” Hux looked to the man across from him, still smirking. He wanted to wipe that smirk of his face. “Revolutions are incited by the written word. From the American Revolution’s Declaration of Independence and countless packets arguing for freedom to Karl Marx’s manifesto. A document that became the basis for communism throughout the world. Even religious purges from the crusades until now were the result of the written word.”
Hux looked at his opponent once more. Ben Solo was still smirking. He would have to wait until the other male provided his arguments before he could counter though. “My opponent provides very interesting arguments however it should be noted that any power the pen may hold is created behind the threat of the sword. How could the pen truly be powerful if it is reliant on the sword? Beyond that most of my opponents arguments are the result of fear mongering but what is it the people truly fear? A pen? No. It is the threat of the sword, the threat of violence that makes men give in. People do not fear Marx’s Communist Manifesto they fear the violence that erupts from it.” Hux was again surprised by how eloquent the other man was. It was so rare that he met someone who could truly match his turn of phrase and he found himself enjoying it despite the smirk that still graced Ben Solo’s face. “What my opponent fails to note is that wars may be made official by politicians but they are certainly not started by them. No, it is an act of violence that starts war whether it is the Nazi occupation of Europe, the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, or Pearl Harbor players enter the battlefield because of a violent event that stirs action. Manifestos and religious texts are very much the same. They could not physically do harm unless their sheer size or a hardback binding caused a concussion I am unaware of. These words mean nothing without the unstable socioeconomic climate that incites violence. In conclusion the pen only holds power because the sword is there to back it up.”
Hux was impressed but he had prepared for this. “I believe that my opponent brings up a valid point however we must remember that the written word is what shapes our society. We are not barbarians who run around hitting one another to incite violence. We are a civilized people who read the news, enact legislation, and write literature supporting our actions. This information is what leads to action. Every course is incited by the pen. The sword can only intimidate and even that is not nearly as effortless as that of the pen.”
The man across from him nodded, the smirk still fully affixed on his face. “My opponent brings up a valid argument as well, in fact his word, while not written is a perfect example of what the pen can do. Tell me however…” Ben Solo walked out from behind his podium and over to Hux. “Are your words mightier than this?’ Hux saw a fist and fell to the ground clutching his abdomen. He had been punched in the gut. Ben Solo was a fucking crazy person who concluded a perfectly reasonable argument by punching him in the gut.
Hux laid on the ground for what seemed like ages but couldn’t have been more than a minute, maybe two. He sat up using his arms to brace himself and saw their classmates staring in stunned silence. The professor wasn’t much better. The man had made no motion to do anything about Solo’s unhinged actions. It was like the man thought this was a perfectly valid form of argument. Breácan rubbed a hand across his face. That was when it came to him. It was his turn to smirk. “As you can see my opponent has just proven my point, or at least he will have when I press charges against him.”
The class clapped and the professor seemed impressed as well. Solo was still smirking but he offered Hux a hand to stand up the rest of the way. The professor finally decided to speak up. “Well I certainly don’t want anyone to be forced to follow up that masterful argument. It seems those of you who haven’t yet gone will have a reprieve for now. We’ll continue next class, you’re all dismissed.”
Hux was still in shock but he couldn’t help but be pleased with his performance. Still, Ben Solo punched him. What the hell was wrong with that guy? Hux stalked over to where Ben was currently picking up his bag, Hux’s own bag on the chair next to it. He turned for a second to see who remained in the room. Apparently everyone left in a rush. The possibility of another punch being thrown was less exciting than getting out of a three hour lecture an hour early. “Solo, what the hell was that?” Hux asked trying to keep his anger at bay.
Ben Solo turned, the smirk from before still firmly placed on his face. Hux wanted to rid him of it. “Hmm? It was a debate. I was just proving my point.”
Hux felt his anger rising further. Was this guy for real? “I don’t think that punching people is part of a regular debate.”
The smirk grew bigger. If that was even possible anyway. “Maybe you’re just not debating with the right people.”
Nope. That was it, Breácan couldn’t resist anymore. He threw a punch of his own. Ben reeled back for a moment but when he recovered the smirk was still there enhanced by a split lip. “See, you seem to like it yourself. Also, now that you’ve hit me you can’t file charges so, I win.”
Was this man insane? “Are you kidding me? You wanted me to hit you to prove your point. You are the most unreasonable person I’ve ever met Ben Solo!” Hux was shouting. He knew it but he couldn’t stop it. He couldn’t get his normally even temper back under control.
“Kylo.” The taller male stated as if that somehow explained everything.
“What?” Hux replied a wary look entering his eyes.
“I go by Kylo.” With that he pulled his bag onto his shoulder and rushed out leaving Hux alone and rather confused. Who the hell went by a name like Kylo?
Re: FILL | Meeting in the Middle [3/?]
The other man chuckled under his breath. “I wanted to know if you really believed the crap you spewed during our debate.”
Brea’s eyes widened. He hadn’t expected that. “Really? That’s what you want to ask?” He was kind of surprised. He knew the engineering student was passionate during their debate but he had thought it was all over the coffee incident this morning when the dark haired giant hadn’t paid attention to where he was going. “You provided valid points but it is not the government’s duty to care for children. If parents are unable to handle their children then perhaps they shouldn’t have them. Educators, at least in the public school system are employees for the city or township they work for which is overseen by the state which is overseen by the government as a whole. To educate these teachers on information parents should be responsible for knowing is a burden on taxpayers. The system should not be required to halt for those too weak to keep up.” It was extreme, even for him it was extreme. The truth was for all he believed in the failings of democracy he didn’t actually think of the mentally ill as a burden. The government should care for them just as they cared for all of their citizens. It was just... he just wanted to be right. He was a political science major set to complete both his undergrad and graduate degrees within four years. He couldn’t be shown up in a debate course by an engineer.
“You’re unbelievable! You actually think that? Are you a fucking fascist? Is that why you want to get into the political scene? So you can strong arm the government until you destroy it and rebuild it in your own image? That’s totally fucked up.” It seemed the dark haired male was angry with him and it brought him a little bit of joy watching the other male get all worked up. It was almost… he was almost attractive with a scowl on his face. Shame. Almost wasn’t what Hux was into.
Hux shrugged. He wanted to see if indifference was the way to go. In his experience it usually wound people up more. He hadn’t expected the response he got. The dark haired man, Ben his mind helpfully supplied, seemed to change before him. He could see him counting to ten mentally and watched as his body let go of all of his stress. “You’re despicable.” He watched Ben, walk from the room. He picked up his bags and headed across campus for his job as a TA.
The next few days were boring for Brendol Hux. With classes just starting he didn’t have any homework and he only had one friend on campus, a friend who was preoccupied with her part time job. It meant he spent a lot of time alone, in his room, with his wonderful cat but he could only spend so much time working on his thesis before he became bored. It got so bad that he was almost excited to go back to his public speaking and debate course. Working up Ben the biomedical engineering major seemed like fun now.
That morning, Brea dressed in one of his favorite button downs. It was a charcoal grey and went well with the black suspenders he connected to his slacks. He layered a black lightweight cardigan over it and longed for the coming days when he would be able to wear a blazer without becoming uncomfortably hot. He was rather pleased with the look even if it wasn’t as formal as he would have liked. He check his hair in the mirror one last time to ensure it was properly placed before heading out. This time he skipped the coffee shop. He didn’t want to work Ben up over something so stupid. He’d rather rip apart the other man’s political ideology.
It should be noted that Hux felt a slight attraction to the other man. He wouldn’t admit to it of course or even consciously recognize it for what it was. A crush. He was just like the little boy who pulled the pigtails of the girl he liked. Instead in his conscious mind he just saw him as a rival. When he entered the room he sat in the back same as before, glaring at any students who tried to switch seats in an effort to ensure Ben would sit next to him. He watched the door and waited for the taller male to arrive. Unlike the previous lecture where the dark haired man stumbled in at the last moment, this time Ben Solo arrived with several seats left. Still, Brea got lucky, Ben sat down next to him with a raised eyebrow and a wry smile on his face.
Hux couldn’t help but try to dig at him as he sat down. “You didn’t get enough last time?” he asked. He was looking at his notebook pretending not to pay too much attention to the engineering major next to him.
He watched the way the man named Ben Solo looked at him from the corner of his mind. “You’re entitled to your opinions even if they’re the radical ideals of a man who has no true experience in government beyond watching the men in your daddy’s pocket grovel before him.”
Breácan was taken a back. No one should know about that. It was true Hux wasn’t a common name but not many people knew about his father, a retired military general who had been fortunate enough to marry a young heiress late in life. He was one of the biggest donors to many extreme right-wing campaigns. He was the sort of man could bring about the rise and fall of government officials but he was always quiet about it. How did Ben Solo know? He couldn’t ask, that would make him look foolish. He had to find another way. “My father has nothing to do with this. Bringing him up shows just how out of your depth you are.”
“Whatever you say.” A chuckle from the other man before another raised eyebrow. Ben Solo looked up at Brea for a moment and smirked like he knew a secret. Hux frowned. He wasn’t certain why it wasn’t working. Why wasn’t the other male worked up? Why did was he becoming so worked up? He pulled out his notebook, resigned to the fact that he would have to give up before he made a fool of himself when heard the other male speak up again. “If you’re trying to wind me up you’re going to have to work harder.” Hux didn’t have the opportunity to respond even if he wanted to because the professor walked in.
The lecture was fairly boring, it included tips on public speaking that had been grilled into Breácan from the minute he could talk. It only dampened the mood by how boring it was. By the end of the lecture he was in a rush to get out just so he wouldn’t have to listen to the old professor drone. Any excitement he had about the course was gone and not even the prospect of another debate assignment at the end of the month could improve it.
The next time he went to class it was the same. The time after that was too. Hux’s mood remained sour throughout. The freshmen he served as TA for were incompetent, his courses were far too easy and overall they were rather boring. Still, he didn’t allow himself slip in any course. He practiced so that he could be fully prepared for the debate. The professor had paired them up based on their proficiency during the first debate which meant that Breácan would be arguing against Ben Solo once more. This time he had the advantage of receiving his topic in advance as well. It was a well-known topic, ‘The Pen is Mighter than the Sword’. Hux would be arguing for while Ben was against.
The morning of the debate started much like any other day. Hux expected everything would continue as it had the past few courses, he figured by now that the first course had been a fluke. It wasn’t until he saw the smirk on Ben Solo’s face when they were called up to the podium that he began to feel differently. This time as it was a formal debate rather than the practice session given at the start of the term Hux would start with opening statements. “Today I would like to argue that the pen, or the written word is more powerful than the physical force, or sword, that man wields while my foe attempts to prove the opposite.”
Ben responded. “My opponent would like to state that the pen is more powerful than the sword. It is my intention to prove the opposite.” The smirk still had not left his face. Hux wanted to rid him of it.
“I would like to begin my argument by explaining how the written word shapes our society in a way that the sword cannot.” Breácan began. “General William Westmoreland once said ‘The military don’t start wars. Politicans start wars.’ While the man’s grammar may leave something to be desired Westmoreland provides a valid point. The military is commanded by those in power to deploy troops. Those in power, politicians often write speeches explaining to the people exactly why they should be supporting war. The speeches are written in advance so that they may be tested and perfected. War is always premeditated. It always begins and ends with the written word through speeches, treaties, declarations, proposals, and accords.” Hux looked to the man across from him, still smirking. He wanted to wipe that smirk of his face. “Revolutions are incited by the written word. From the American Revolution’s Declaration of Independence and countless packets arguing for freedom to Karl Marx’s manifesto. A document that became the basis for communism throughout the world. Even religious purges from the crusades until now were the result of the written word.”
Hux looked at his opponent once more. Ben Solo was still smirking. He would have to wait until the other male provided his arguments before he could counter though. “My opponent provides very interesting arguments however it should be noted that any power the pen may hold is created behind the threat of the sword. How could the pen truly be powerful if it is reliant on the sword? Beyond that most of my opponents arguments are the result of fear mongering but what is it the people truly fear? A pen? No. It is the threat of the sword, the threat of violence that makes men give in. People do not fear Marx’s Communist Manifesto they fear the violence that erupts from it.” Hux was again surprised by how eloquent the other man was. It was so rare that he met someone who could truly match his turn of phrase and he found himself enjoying it despite the smirk that still graced Ben Solo’s face. “What my opponent fails to note is that wars may be made official by politicians but they are certainly not started by them. No, it is an act of violence that starts war whether it is the Nazi occupation of Europe, the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, or Pearl Harbor players enter the battlefield because of a violent event that stirs action. Manifestos and religious texts are very much the same. They could not physically do harm unless their sheer size or a hardback binding caused a concussion I am unaware of. These words mean nothing without the unstable socioeconomic climate that incites violence. In conclusion the pen only holds power because the sword is there to back it up.”
Hux was impressed but he had prepared for this. “I believe that my opponent brings up a valid point however we must remember that the written word is what shapes our society. We are not barbarians who run around hitting one another to incite violence. We are a civilized people who read the news, enact legislation, and write literature supporting our actions. This information is what leads to action. Every course is incited by the pen. The sword can only intimidate and even that is not nearly as effortless as that of the pen.”
The man across from him nodded, the smirk still fully affixed on his face. “My opponent brings up a valid argument as well, in fact his word, while not written is a perfect example of what the pen can do. Tell me however…” Ben Solo walked out from behind his podium and over to Hux. “Are your words mightier than this?’ Hux saw a fist and fell to the ground clutching his abdomen. He had been punched in the gut. Ben Solo was a fucking crazy person who concluded a perfectly reasonable argument by punching him in the gut.
Hux laid on the ground for what seemed like ages but couldn’t have been more than a minute, maybe two. He sat up using his arms to brace himself and saw their classmates staring in stunned silence. The professor wasn’t much better. The man had made no motion to do anything about Solo’s unhinged actions. It was like the man thought this was a perfectly valid form of argument. Breácan rubbed a hand across his face. That was when it came to him. It was his turn to smirk. “As you can see my opponent has just proven my point, or at least he will have when I press charges against him.”
The class clapped and the professor seemed impressed as well. Solo was still smirking but he offered Hux a hand to stand up the rest of the way. The professor finally decided to speak up. “Well I certainly don’t want anyone to be forced to follow up that masterful argument. It seems those of you who haven’t yet gone will have a reprieve for now. We’ll continue next class, you’re all dismissed.”
Hux was still in shock but he couldn’t help but be pleased with his performance. Still, Ben Solo punched him. What the hell was wrong with that guy? Hux stalked over to where Ben was currently picking up his bag, Hux’s own bag on the chair next to it. He turned for a second to see who remained in the room. Apparently everyone left in a rush. The possibility of another punch being thrown was less exciting than getting out of a three hour lecture an hour early. “Solo, what the hell was that?” Hux asked trying to keep his anger at bay.
Ben Solo turned, the smirk from before still firmly placed on his face. Hux wanted to rid him of it. “Hmm? It was a debate. I was just proving my point.”
Hux felt his anger rising further. Was this guy for real? “I don’t think that punching people is part of a regular debate.”
The smirk grew bigger. If that was even possible anyway. “Maybe you’re just not debating with the right people.”
Nope. That was it, Breácan couldn’t resist anymore. He threw a punch of his own. Ben reeled back for a moment but when he recovered the smirk was still there enhanced by a split lip. “See, you seem to like it yourself. Also, now that you’ve hit me you can’t file charges so, I win.”
Was this man insane? “Are you kidding me? You wanted me to hit you to prove your point. You are the most unreasonable person I’ve ever met Ben Solo!” Hux was shouting. He knew it but he couldn’t stop it. He couldn’t get his normally even temper back under control.
“Kylo.” The taller male stated as if that somehow explained everything.
“What?” Hux replied a wary look entering his eyes.
“I go by Kylo.” With that he pulled his bag onto his shoulder and rushed out leaving Hux alone and rather confused. Who the hell went by a name like Kylo?